the longer the white house slow-walks this process, the closer our economy gets to the fiscal cliff. now, if the president doesn't agree with our approach, he's got an obligation to put forward a plan that can pass both chambers of the congress. because right now the american people have to be scratching their heads and wondering when is the president going to get serious? >> on that question of whether or not we have put forward specific spending cuts, the answer is is we have. not only that, we signed law a trillion dollars in specific spending cuts. so if you combine what is signed into law with what we proposed versus the total absence of any specificity from the republicans for a single dollar in revenue, i think in the battle of specificity, the outcome has already been decided. >> woodruff: and a short time ago an administration official told us the president and the speaker spoke by phone this evening. now to our series of conversations on this subject and what should be done. we've listened to a range of opinions in recent days, including erskine bowles of the simpson-bowles